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Richard Parsons, Senior Advisor at Providence Equity Partners discusses the evolving role of public corporations and the power they possesses in creating a more equitable society.
In an interview with Paul Washington, Executive Director of the ESG Center at The Conference Board, Parsons talks about the general recognition among executives in today’s corporate landscape that a more diverse workforce is not only good for society but also critical to growing their bottom line.
Parsons adds that while the private sector has made some progress, there is still a long road ahead: “On the economic equity side, as a country and as a society we’re still wrestling with how to deal with that. We haven’t come up with a path to solution. People recognize it’s a problem…You don’t want a situation where we have a small group of have’s and a large group of have not’s at the bottom because ultimately that leads to revolution. We must find a way to evolve to a better place.”
The CEO Forum series features CEOs from across American industry who focus on actionable insights to address underlying challenges of economic opportunity, childhood education, health care, workforce skills development, workplace equality and corporate governance.
Speakers
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Paul Washington
Paul Washington is a recognized leader with a distinguished career in the ESG space. Before joining The Conference Board ESG Center, he served as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Time Warner Inc. He also served as Chief of Staff for the company’...Full Bio |
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Richard Parsons
Richard Parsons is a Senior Advisor at Providence Equity Partners, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm specializing in media, communications and information companies. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Citigroup, Inc. Prior to serving in those roles, he was the Chai...Full Bio |